Aftermath
by Water Goddess Masika
Summary: In the aftermath of Abel's resurrection and brief fight with Cain, Esther is left wondering if it was all just another dream or if Abel has truly returned to her. One-shot. Novel Universe. Rated for Abel's lack of clothing. Sequel to I Lived.


**Disclaimer: **Trinity Blood nor the characters within belong to me. They belong to Sunao Yoshida-sensei (Rest in peace...) and other respected parties. The purpose of this fan fiction is solely for the entertain of the readers and to exercise my own writing ability.

**A/N:** This story is dedicated to Kaidou who inspired me to write this. :3 Thank you for the idea and enjoying _I Lived_! If you guys haven't checked out their stories please do! They are awesome! And to Midnight Changeling for encouraging me to continuing writing for Trinity Blood. :3 You guys are awesome.

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Esther squeezed her eyes shut as Cain's eerily familiar voice faded into nothing. Having finally bought Isaak enough time to prepare for their escape, the duo had vanished from the church through the latter's strange magical abilities. The air in the broken church still smelled of ozone and spilled blood, making her feel sick to her stomach as images from the fight flickered behind her eyelids. The danger finally gone, Esther began to tremble against the warmth pressed against her. Strong arms pulled her closer, tightening around her, and she suddenly remembered who was embracing her.

Heart pounding in her chest, she kept her eyes closed as she lifted her hands hesitantly to touch the man holding her. Shaking fingertips brushed lightly against bare skin and she felt the muscles there jump in reaction to her touch. He made a soft sound, a short exhalation of breath from his nose, as her hands traveled upwards. She slipped her arms around his back, feathers slipping softly over the backs of her hands and they stopped their advancement at the base of his wings. She pressed her cheek more firmly against his chest, hearing his heart beat strongly in her ear.

Was any of it real? Or would she open her eyes and he'd be lost to her again? Would she wake up to find herself still kneeling by the altar, using his coffin as a pillow? The thought terrified her. She had relived his death in her dreams so many times, it was forever etched into her memory. Would opening her eyes this time be any different? He had come to her when she needed him the most, just as he always had, but his sudden and violent resurrection had been so surreal. Nothing short of a miracle. Was he really strong enough to defy death? Or had Cain killed her and like an angel he had met her on the other side to take her Home?

"Miss Esther?" the gravelly voice of his Crusnik was a deep rumble that vibrated through her, breaking her free of her thoughts. She closed her eyes tighter in response and held him closer. One arm released her and moved upward. A warm hand touched her face gently, razor sharp claws just barely grazing her skin. "Are you hurt?"

His voice was tinged with worry, but all she could do was shake her head at that moment. All the emotions of recent events had caught up to her and stolen her voice. Her throat was thick with them and she feared if she opened her mouth she would start crying and never stop. So instead she just pressed her fingers into his back, clinging to him like a life line.

"Why won't you say anything? Have I frightened you again, miss Esther?" His voice was soft, as if he were trying to smooth it out for her, yet she could hear the deep sadness in it and it made her heart hurt. She shook her head fiercely in response, fighting to find her voice.

"Haven't I told you? Nothing you could do would ever frighten me, Father," she answered, voice hoarse. The tension eased and she felt him relax in her arms.

"Then... is there any particular reason you haven't opened your eyes? I, um, well, I know I don't have any clothes on, so if you'd just let me go a moment I can find something...," his voice trailed off in embarrassment as she shook her head again. His hands slipped to her shoulders and she tensed. "M-Miss Esther?"

"I'm afraid...," Esther's voice was thick with tears, "If I open my eyes, will you still be here or will you be..."

She couldn't bring herself to say the word and so she closed her mouth on a sob, clenching her jaw as tears leaked out from beneath her eyelids. She shook with suppressed sobs, crying into his bare chest.

"Oh miss Esther," he breathed, his own voice pained. He carefully framed her face in his hands, tilting her head upwards, "It's okay to look. I promise I won't vanish. You can trust me."

That much was true. He could be an unreliable, goofy klutz with a massive sweet tooth and bottomless stomach, but when he made a promise to her, he always did his best to keep it. He felt real enough, didn't he? The muscles of his back beneath her hands, his chest expanding against her with each breath, his calloused palms against her cheeks. Esther's heart sped up painfully as she took in a shaky breath and hesitantly opened her eyes.

Abel was gazing down at her, his eyes still the crimson red of his Crusnik form. A familiar, gentle smile curved his mouth, softening the fierce features of his beloved face. Tears spilled down her cheeks as she took him in and he carefully wiped her tears away with his thumbs. In awe, she released him from her death grip, raising her hands to trace the contours of his face with her fingers. His skin was soft and warm, filled with color and, most importantly, life. The terrible image of his headless body melted away as her hands slipped into his hair. The soft, silver tresses clung gently to her fingers as if filled with static. Abel stood still while she inspected him, watching her quietly with a tender look in his eyes.

"Father Nightroad?" Her voice shook slightly as her hands dropped back down to touch his cheeks, almost reverently.

"Yes?" She watched his lips form the word with wide eyes. Esther took in another breath, not daring to blink.

"Is it really you?" her voice wavered and more tears welled up, spilling over. Abel's smile widened beneath her fingers.

"Yes, miss Esther. It's really me," he answered.

Finally convinced, Esther let out a cry and threw her arms around his neck, burying her face against his throat as she cried. He nuzzled the top of her head as her pulled her into a fierce hug.

"I'm sorry I left you alone, miss Esther. But I'm here now. Please don't cry, everything will turn out just fine. You'll see," he murmured soothingly. A hand softly clasped the back of her head as he held her, the tips of his claws gently threading through her hair. She heard the rustling of feathers and upon finding herself safely ensconced within his black wings, she truly felt as though everything _would_ be just fine.

And as the morning sun began to shine through the stained glass windows of the partially destroyed church, Abel's voice rose in a quiet song for the young woman in his arms.

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**A/N: **I am absolutely enchanted with the idea of Abel singing, thanks to smcandy and Darth Stitch. However, since I'm not supposed to post song lyrics here I left out the lyrics I had in mind for this part (which is why I didn't include them in _I Lived_).

If anyone is curious, what I imagine Abel singing here is _Not Alone_ by RED. More specifically the bridge, or rather, the part after the second time the chorus is sung. The song really fits their relationship in the series.

Hope you all enjoyed!


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